salesloft-cadences

Salesloft Cadences

Overview

Salesloft is the market leader in sales engagement. Cadences here manage Rhythm (multi-channel cadences), Conversations (reply management), and Deals (pipeline integration). This skill covers setup, optimization, and team workflows.

Authoritative Foundations

• Salesloft Modern Selling Framework — Cadence + coaching rhythm; rhythm-based pipeline management.
• ColdIQ Cadence Design — Named methodology governing recommendations in this skill's process.
• Outreach — Sales Engagement Cadence Design — Sequence governance, task-based selling, and CRM-locked cadences.

When to Use

• "Set up Salesloft cadences"
• "Build Salesloft Rhythm"
• "Salesloft optimization"
• "Salesloft team setup"

Step-by-Step Process

Phase 1: Cadence Architecture

Design by motion type:

• Prospecting Cadence: 6-8 touches over 14 days, email + call + LinkedIn
• Inbound Cadence: 4 touches over 7 days, fast follow-up (speed-to-lead)
• Re-engagement Cadence: 3 touches over 10 days, "still relevant?" angle
• Event Follow-up Cadence: 2 touches over 5 days, reference the event
• AE Cadence: 3 touches over 7 days, discovery-focused, less volume

Phase 2: Step Types

• Email step: Template with merge fields, plain text, from individual sender
• Call step: Auto-logged, call script + talk track linked, voicemail drop
• Social step: LinkedIn view, connection, or DM (manual task with template)
• Custom step: Slack message, direct mail, gift send
• Wait step: 2-5 business days between touches, skip weekends

Phase 3: Team Configuration

• Persona-based cadences: Different cadences for C-suite vs Director vs Manager
• Industry variants: Different opener templates by industry
• Rep assignment rules: Round-robin, territory-based, or account-owner
• Manager approval gates: Require approval before high-touch sequences

Phase 4: Conversation Intelligence

• Auto-categorize replies: positive, negative, OOO, referral, unsubscribe
• Route positive replies to AE for immediate follow-up
• Auto-pause cadence on OOO, resume when they're back
• Flag negative replies for sequence refinement

Phase 5: Analytics

• Cadence performance: meetings booked per 100 enrollments
• Step performance: which step type/timing drives most replies
• Rep leaderboard: meetings, reply rates, cadence completion
• A/B testing: subject lines, openers, send times

Output Format

Salesloft setup guide with: cadence library, step configuration, team routing rules, analytics dashboard, and A/B test plan.

Quality Check

Before delivering, verify:

• All required sections are complete
• Output matches the user's stated need
• Named frameworks are cited for key recommendations
• No vague claims — every recommendation has a specific action
• Deliverable is ready for operational use, not just conceptual

Common Pitfalls

1. Skipping research. Building output without understanding the specific context. Fix: always gather required inputs before producing deliverables.
2. Generic output. "Improve your process" without concrete steps. Fix: every recommendation must include a specific action, timeline, and owner.
3. Missing framework citations. Advice without named authorities. Fix: ground every recommendation in a cited framework from a recognized authority.

Execution Artifacts

• references/framework-notes.md — Rhythm cadences, CRM verify gate, enterprise governance
• templates/output-template.md — CRM fields + cadence + enrollment gate deliverable
• scripts/check-output.py — local checklist validator This skill includes lightweight artifacts the agent can load on demand:
• references/enrichment-enrollment-gate.md — CRM lm_email_status before cadence enroll
• ../../outbound/cold-email-copywriting/references/pat-spielmann-outbound-copy.md — verify-before-enroll (Pat Spielmann)
• ../../tools/clay-toolkit/references/gtm-table-blueprints.md — clay-toolkit CRM field patterns
• ../../tools/clay-loops-toolkit/SKILL.md — clay-loops-toolkit signal cadences
• ../../../../references/gtm-experts-outbound-index.md — expert router Use the artifacts when the user asks for an implementation-ready deliverable, a repeatable workflow, or a quality check rather than generic advice.

Implementation Depth

Use this section when the user asks for a finished asset, not a high-level explanation.

Diagnostic Questions

1. What is the primary motion: founder-led, sales-led, product-led, partner-led, or lifecycle-led?
2. Which ICP tier is the output for: small business, mid-market, enterprise, or mixed?
3. What proof is available today: customer stories, usage data, third-party validation, screenshots, or none?
4. What system will execute the work: CRM, sequencer, warehouse, support desk, product analytics, or manual workflow?
5. What decision will the user make from this output: launch, prioritize, route, rewrite, score, coach, or measure?

Framework Application

Map the recommendation explicitly to the named frameworks in this skill:

• Salesloft Modern Selling Framework: apply only the part that directly improves the requested deliverable.
• ColdIQ Cadence Design: apply only the part that directly improves the requested deliverable.
• Outreach — Sales Engagement Cadence Design: apply only the part that directly improves the requested deliverable.

Deliverable Standard

A strong output from this skill includes:

• A crisp diagnosis of the current situation
• A recommended path with tradeoffs, not a generic list
• A concrete artifact the user can use immediately: table, script, checklist, scorecard, sequence, dashboard spec, or implementation plan
• A measurement plan with leading and lagging indicators
• Risks and edge cases called out before execution

Adaptation Rules

• For small business: reduce complexity, shorten time-to-value, and prioritize owner/operator clarity.
• For mid-market: include workflow ownership, handoffs, integrations, and enablement assets.
• For enterprise: include governance, risk, procurement, stakeholder mapping, and proof requirements.

Related Skills

• cold-email-strategy, cold-calling, reply-handling, pipeline-management, multi-channel-outreach